One of the most beautiful lakes you'll ever see

To experience one of the snowiest inhabited places in the USA, visit Crater Lake National Park in the Cascade Mountains. Each winter, the hardiest skiers and snowshoers test their skills on a 50-kilometer, three-day loop around the rim of Crater Lake. No need to be a super athlete to enjoy the natural beauty of the slopes, forests and lake during all seasons in the 74,057-hectare park. All of that snow melts, making the lake the cleanest and clearest in the world; it receives no water from rivers or creeks.

Crater Lake National Park features one of the most stunning scenes on Earth: a deep, pure lake, sheer cliffs over 600 meters high and two picturesque islands. Reaching a depth of 592 meters, Crater Lake is the ninth deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the USA. Located in the southwestern portion of Oregon, the lake actually occupies a hole created by a collapsed volcano that erupted more than 7,500 years ago.

There are plenty of ways to experience Crater Lake, which is beautiful no matter the season. When winter delivers more than 10 meters of snow, ranger-led snowshoe treks will grant you a magical look at the wintry wonderland (though the lake’s depth often keeps it from freezing). Once the snow melts, explore the hiking trails along the cliffs, around the lake and on Wizard Island, a 2,113-meter-high cinder cone island that rises 230 meters above the lake’s surface. Or spend a day boating or fishing on the brilliant blue water.